Murray State University Athletics
Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics
Racers Jump To The Buddy Lead – Zakutney Third
10/14/2024 8:42:00 PM | Men's Golf
The final round of The Buddy Championship is played annually at Miller Memorial Golf Course Tuesday morning
The Murray State men's golf team jumped to the front through 36 holes of The Buddy Championship, their annual fall event at their home course, Miller Memorial Golf Course in Murray, Kentucky.
Playing in honor of Murray State Hall of Famer, Coach Buddy Hewitt, who founded men's golf at MSU in 1961 and led the program with distinction and honor for 41 years, the Racers carded scores of 276-280=556. The Racers lead second place Austin Peay (285-280=565) by nine shots heading into Tuesday's 8:15 a.m. final round.
Northern Kentucky (566) sat in third place, while the Racers' second team was in fourth place at 569.
Murray State's Rocco Zakutney carded rounds of 69-68=137 an was just two shots off of the individual lead held by APSU's Patton Samuels at 135. MSU's Lennon Albans had a spot in sixth place after scores of 70-70=140, tied with teammate Kamaren Cunningham.
Jay Nimmo fired a 5-under-par 67 in the morning round for the Racers' best score of the day. Tyler Wirth, a freshman had the best score of the day for the MSU B team with a 2-under 69 in the afternoon. Zakutney was the only Racer with a pair of sub-70 rounds, while Cunningham's 69 gave the Racers a combined five rounds in the 60's among 10 players.
Coach Hewitt was also a football legend who played on Murray State's 1948 team that won the inaugural Ohio Valley Conference championship and played in the Tangerine Bowl. Hewitt's golf teams won two OVC team titles, finished runner-up eight times and third-place five times. Coach Hewitt produced seven OVC medalist winners: Bill Graham (1962 & 63), Ron Acree (1965), Chris Pigott (1971), Kevin Klier (1977), Chris Carlson (1987) and Adam Grogan (1996). Hewitt retired in 2001, the same year he was inducted into the Golf Coaches Association of America Hall of Fame. Coach Hewitt was 87 and three months from his Aug. 16 birthday when he passed away in Murray on May 15, 2015.
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The Buddy Championship
Oct. 14-15, 2024
Miller Memorial GC - Murray, Ky.
Par 71/6,700
Rd2 Results
Team
Murray State A 276 280 556
Austin Peay 285 280 565
Northern Kentucky 286 281
Murray State B 287 282 569
Delta State 285 285 570
Missouri State 289 284 573
Evansville 287 293 580
Lindenwood 294 293 590
Glenville State 291 299 590
Emmanuel (GA) 294 299 593
Chicago State 305 303 608
Eastern Illinois 307 307 614
1 Murray State A 276 280 556
T2 Rocco Zakutney (5A) 69 68 137 -5
T6 Lennon Albans (2A) 70 70 140 -2
T6 Kamaren Cunningham (4A) 71 69 140 -2
T14 Jay Nimmo (1A) 67 75 142 E
T20 Trey Wall (3A) 70 73 143 +1
4 Murray State B 287 282 569
T9 Derek Limberg (5B) 71 70 141 -1
T14 Sam Guest (1B) 71 71 142 E
T20 Jakob Wellman (2B) 71 72 143 +1
T20 Tyler Wirth (4B) 74 69 143 +1
T47 Trey Lewis (3B) 77 73 150 +8
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
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/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
/ Men's Golf
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